This invention is concerned with the purification of an airstream, more particularly for the removal of contaminants such as particles and VOC, as well as biological pollutants.
Techniques for purifying an airstream are well known, but, in general, prior techniques suffer from one or more disadvantages, including, but not limited to, inefficiency, size, cost, and longevity limitations, and undesirable by-products.
In one type of prior airstream purifier, an ionizer uses wires to charge particles in an incoming airstream, and an electric field directs the charged particles to a particle collecting filter. One problem with such purifiers is the inefficient and non-uniform generation of ions. Another problem is the premature failure of the filter. A further problem is the undesired presence of ozone in the exhaust stream of the purifier.